Birmingham’s Old Rep and the city’s Electric Cinema which are based on the same street are to join forces for a day during Birmingham Heritage Week. The Old Rep was the UK’s first purpose-built repertory theatre, while the Electric Cinema is the UK’s oldest working picture house. The Station Street, Digbeth venues will host a… Continue reading Old Rep backstage tours to celebrate Heritage Week
Author: Editor
The Maids
A language barrier in a performance is always a risk during the world’s largest international arts festival, and it’s welcome that there is such a breadth of options and variety that a Korean physical theatre company can be seen performing an adaptation of Jean Genet’s cult French play Les Bonnes in a style rarely seen… Continue reading The Maids
Birmingham to host new young people’s musical
British Youth Musical Theatre is returning to Birmingham Hippodrome’s Patrick Studio to present a new musical, #50 Days. Performed by a company of 14- to 21-year-olds from across the UK with a number from Birmingham, #50 Days retells the story of the 50-day period that led to the outbreak of the British civil wars. With parallels to Brexit,… Continue reading Birmingham to host new young people’s musical
Sad-Vents
At least a hundred Internets ago, Samuel Johnson famously wrote: “he who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man.” But Eleanor Hill’s savage exploration of self-loathing in the Instagram age shows that the same is true now as then for anyone, regardless of gender. So what does a… Continue reading Sad-Vents
“Spectacular” circus show returns to New Vic
Staffordshire’s New Vic is to bring back its “most spectacular show ever” to celebrate the 850th anniversary of Newcastle-under-Lyme’s receiving its charter to become a borough. Astley’s Astounding Adventures is the story of Philip Astley. Born in Newcastle-under-Lyme, he became the international impresario who invented circus. The show is “filled with fast-paced action, laugh-out-loud humour, gripping… Continue reading “Spectacular” circus show returns to New Vic
Layers
Depictions of dementia aren’t new to either theatre or The Fringe, with plays such as Florian Zeller’s The Father, or the late Trevor T Smith’s An Evening with Dementia having graced the Festival stage to much regard as well as many a tearful eye and heavy heart. Layers takes the tragically all-too-familiar concept and evokes… Continue reading Layers
Leicester festival explores climate crisis
Leicester is to host a free, two-day festival using creativity to explore the climate crisis. The first Re/action Festival will feature performances and pop-up shows including a huge puppet, Gnomus, caretaker of our planet, created by Brighton-based outdoor puppetry company Puppets with Guts, which will explore Leicester’s High Street. Another highlight will be Leicester’s Nupur Arts hosting… Continue reading Leicester festival explores climate crisis
The Wreck of the Queen Thomasina
When a pair of chalk and cheese pirates are marooned on a small desert island, they can only hope to be rescued, or to find treasure that might assuage their plight. But this might be hampered slightly when they are both slightly daft, and talk almost entirely in rhyming couplets. The Wreck of the Queen… Continue reading The Wreck of the Queen Thomasina
Follow the yellow brick road to Birmingham festival
Birmingham’s community arts festival Little but LIVE! is to return to Moseley Park for the fourth year running. The “family-friendly” festival will present a new, Birmingham-inspired version of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Birmingham-based company Paperback Theatre is behind the production, with its founders George Attwell Gerhards adapting and Lucy Bird directing. They are working with composer Steve… Continue reading Follow the yellow brick road to Birmingham festival
End of the World
End of the World is not the doom-laden play its title might imply. Instead, it is a gentle exploration of a friendship between two women during a difficult time. Set in the kitchen of their shared flat, Em (Ella Lovelady) is trying to negotiate the calls she gets about her father’s mental health, about whether… Continue reading End of the World